Segregation question (Chicago, Evanston, Albany: fit in, how much, unemployment)

[jonnynonos]

I live downtown and I think the diversity is really underrated, actually. I would say just eyeballing it the downtown area is like 50-60% Caucasian and 50-40% minorities. Now, a lot of people are working or visiting, so they may not live downtown. But, that's my impression.

If you want to live in an area that is, say 30-50% black, that is a different and harder question. Even a lot of the areas that look diverse on paper are not really diverse, but just have different geographic characteristics/borders that make them present that way statistically.

Hyde Park, Rogers Park and Uptown may be exceptions to some degree. e.g., it may be possible in those areas to find apartment buildings that are, for instance, half middle-class black, half middle class other people etc.

[Va83]

Is south shore a decent/ safe area?

[Va83]

Never mind. I looked up South Shore and won’t be going there! No wonder nobody mentioned it.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Va83

Is south shore a decent/ safe area?

Originally Posted by Va83

Never mind. I looked up South Shore and won’t be going there! No wonder nobody mentioned it.

If Chicago ever manages to tie together two decades of solid growth (which I think 2030-2050 might have), South Shore will gentrify nicely. Other than current crime numbers, the only thing that's really a negative for it is distance to the Loop, but the Metra Electric service could be expanded if population called for it, reducing that issue. Proximity to the lake, decent density in the number of housing units, and quaint architecture in places give it great bones for gentrifying. It just needs demand, which will require sustained population growth in Chicago.

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

I live downtown and I think the diversity is really underrated, actually. I would say just eyeballing it the downtown area is like 50-60% Caucasian and 50-40% minorities. Now, a lot of people are working or visiting, so they may not live downtown. But, that's my impression.

Interesting to note the difference between residents vs. working/visiting. The residential population within a mile radius of Washington and Madison is about 70% Caucasian, out of almost 70,000 residents. The "daytime" population adds about a half a million more people. Nonetheless, there's some level of people visiting around downtown at all hours.

[Va83]

Off topic but why DONT Chicago apartments have dishwashers? I looked at a lot of apartment ads in a reasonable price under $1300 for a one bedroom and 90% didn’t offer a dishwasher.

[personone]

Originally Posted by Va83

Off topic but why DONT Chicago apartments have dishwashers? I looked at a lot of apartment ads in a reasonable price under $1300 for a one bedroom and 90% didn’t offer a dishwasher.

All the Chicago apartments I have lived in have had dishwashers. The first apartment I lived in was a modern luxury apartment (well over the $1300 price range), but my current apartment is under $1300 and has a dishwasher. Most of the apartments I looked at did.

There are a good amount of older apartments in Chicago, so maybe the area/ models in that area you are looking in don't have them, but this is not universal.

There are plenty of apartments in Chicago in that price range with dishwashers.

[lepoisson]

Originally Posted by Va83

Off topic but why DONT Chicago apartments have dishwashers? I looked at a lot of apartment ads in a reasonable price under $1300 for a one bedroom and 90% didn’t offer a dishwasher.

I've noticed the same thing too. My guess is because most buildings in Chicago are older, plumbing is an issue. Also, many floor plans are very strange, so there may not be room for a dishwasher.

[artillery77]

Historically, Chicago became a port of entry for many cultures. Beyond Black/White you had further breakdown amongst ethnicities. Fresh off the Boat immigrants would go to the community where they could transition in the best, the language was spoken etc. It was generally further reinforced by the alderman of the area that would be part of that group...and the goto person you needed if things needed to get done.

So it held together a bit longer in that...to get away, you had to ensure you were assimilated enough. Plus...you might not be all that welcomed in someone else's neighborhood, regardless of race. As a neighborhood ages out, a new group may take it over and the originals would not be welcome. Call it early non-economic gentrification perhaps.

So for example, if you were Ukranian, you stayed east of Western Avenue in Ukranian Village. West of Western Avenue was Polish...or maybe it was Damen. By the time I lived near there, the Polish side had been overtaken and was mixed and you needed to go elsewhere for your pierogies.

At any rate, that's what helped start the segregation. Then everyone ran out of the city to the burbs and when people returned it became about gentrification. Don't care the race so much...you either have money, or you don't.

[pete6032]

Originally Posted by Va83

Off topic but why DONT Chicago apartments have dishwashers? I looked at a lot of apartment ads in a reasonable price under $1300 for a one bedroom and 90% didn’t offer a dishwasher.

Plumbing in older buildings is often inadequate to support a dishwasher.